Have you been exposed?

As you know I’m doing a series on toxins and chemicals that can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health problems. Last time I spoke about how hairdresser’s may suffer from depression because of the chemicals in the hair dyes, hair sprays and other products they get exposed to every day of their working life. I thought you might be interested in the other occupations that have a high risk of contact with toxins and chemicals.

Do you work in any of these jobs?

The most obvious place to start to look for toxic exposure is your occupation and this isn’t just relevant to those that work in high risk occupations but all of us (that includes office workers) so please keep reading. First check out the list below for some of the occupations that use toxic chemicals.

Just because your occupation isn’t there doesn’t mean it’s not relevant. Think about what you do on a daily basis, and what chemicals you may be exposed to. Are there a lot of smells around you? Are you slack and avoid using the right protective gear or don’t wash your hands after contact with chemicals? Is the ventilation of your workplace poor? Also ask yourself whether you have had any kind of chemical poisoning such as pesticide, lead (from paint,) or mercury? Have there been any chemical spills at work? Does anyone else in your workplace suffer from the same health problem? Answering yes to any of the above questions should raise your level of suspicion.

Occupations with a higher risk of Toxic exposure

• Beauticians
• Chemists
• Dentists and dental assistants
• Dry-cleaners
• Embalmers
• Farmers
• Firefighters
• Florists
• Forestry workers
• Furniture refinishers
• Gas station attendants
• Ground keepers
• Hair colorists
• Metal workers
• Printers
• Shoe manufacturers
• Truck drivers
• Wood processers (woodworking, cabinet making, furniture making, sawmill workers, carpentry)
• Workers in electronics and semiconductors
• Workers in oil refineries
• Workers in the rubber industry

If you think that its possible that your depression and/or anxiety could have started around the time you started a new job, or because of toxins that you came into contact during it, you can find out about detoxification techniques in my book. By reducing the amount of these chemicals in your body and your brain, it will help you overcome your depression.

If occupation doesn’t seem to be an important factor in the onset of your depression, there are hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and adverse reactions to food that can also play a role. If you want to find out more check out my free report which provides 7 powerful questions to uncover what physical imbalance is causing your depression.

If you’re wondering if a job that you do now, or one that you’ve done in the past may play a role in causing your depression leave me a message below, and I’ll let you know what I’ve discovered!

All the best

Dr Janelle

Did you know that your occupation could play a role in your depression?

I’m not talking about how the stress of a job can be the underlying cause of your mood problems (although it can). What I’m referring to, is the toxins and chemicals that you can be exposed through your work- and how these can cause depression, anxiety and panic attacks.

Today’s blog is about how hairdressers can get depression from all of the chemicals they are exposed to.

Have you ever sat in the hairdresser’s chair getting your hair dyed? I have on occasion, and I haven’t like all of the fumes. Imagine being exposed to those smells all day, every day! Yes it can have an affect.

A recent scientific report discusses the case of a hairdresser who was wrongly diagnosed with a mood disorder and recommended antidepressant medication. Luckily however, with some further investigation by a doctor trained in environmental medicine it was uncovered that this woman was suffering from depression because of the hairsprays, hair dyes, bleaches, and other chemicals she was exposed to on a daily basis. The practitioner suggested a leave from work. After one month away from work, the patient was “eighty percent better” and had decided to leave the profession as “her health was more important than her job.”

Could your occupation be affecting your mood? Could it be the cause of your depression?

I’ll be discussing more occupations in the next few blogs, so keep posted. Subscribe to my RSS feed above, or check me out on twitter. http://www.twitter.com/DrJSinclair.

To find out more about the different toxins that can cause depression and anxiety get hold of my free depression report. The report asks 7 selfhelp questions, which can help reveal the causes of your depression.

Until next time.

All the best

Janelle

Dr Janelle Sinclair

BSc, MSc, PhD (Biochemistry), NZNMA

Over the next couple of weeks I thought that I would blog about some of the toxins that can cause depression, anxiety and other mental illness.

Toxins as a cause of depression and anxiety should not be disregarded!

In fact the involvement of toxins and chemicals in psychiatric disorders has been recently highlighted in the journal NeuroToxicology by Dr. Genuis. The scientific paper was entitled “Toxic causes of mental illness are overlooked.”

I think the title is a very good one, because even though its been known for over 300 years that toxins like mercury can lead to mental health problems- today it is still disregarded.

Today Let’s Look at the heavy metal Manganese

Most people know manganese as a mineral (like iron, iodine or selenium). This is true, and the body needs it in small amounts- it’s essential. It is an antioxidant, helps healthy digestion and formation of bones.

In large amounts however, manganese is toxic and is known as a heavy metal. That’s what we’re going to talk about today.

Manganese is Toxic and can cause Depression & Anxiety

Manganese is a heavy metal that can cause health concerns including irritability, mood changes, compulsive behaviors, and Parkinson Disease like tremors. A recent study investigating mood disorders and manganese exposure through welding showed alarming results. Those that had the highest past exposure to manganese were seven and a  half times more likely to be hostile, 2.6 times more likely to suffer from depression, and three times more likely to have anxiety. These symptoms were experienced even fourteen years after the workers last exposure to manganese.

Exposure to Manganese

You may be exposed to manganese through different occupations including mining, ore-processing, ferroalloy production, dry-cell battery factories, smelters, welders, and gas station attendants. In addition, you can be exposed through gasoline, contaminated soil and water, and living in close proximity to mining and other industries involving manganese.

If your depression or anxiety is caused by toxins, you can be healed by removing exposure to that chemical, and just as importantly detoxifying your body properly.

Join me next time to find out what types of toxins (and other occupations), can contribute to depression.

Toxins aren’t the only physical cause for depression and anxiety. To find out what hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and food allergies contribute to mental health disorders download a copy of my free depression report.

Talk to you again soon.

Dr Janelle Sinclair

Did you know that the oral contraceptive pill can be a cause of depression?

It’s not commonly known, but its really important, especially when you consider so many women are on it, and often for decades! Are you one of them?

I think the most insidious thing about the “Pill” and depression, is that the affect of the pill is slow. There may not be a clear relationship between the time you ‘went on’ the pill, and the onset of your depression or depressive symptoms. Why you may ask?

How The Oral Contraceptive Pill Can Cause Depression

If I first explain how the pill can cause depression, it’ll be easier for me to show you how it can ‘creep up on you’ and cause depression.

I should firstly say that I’m talking about the pill that contains estrogen specifically.

Here’s an excerpt from my book which explains it:

When copper is too high in the body it can lead to depression, lethargy, and a lack of energy. High levels of the estrogen hormone, which occurs during pregnancy and while taking the contraceptive pill, can lead to the build up of copper. That’s why many women experience depression during or after pregnancy, as well as when they’re on the oral contraceptive pill.

If you have postnatal depression, see the suggestions below about getting tested for copper.

If you take the oral contraceptive pill ask yourself “When did I start taking this medication in relation to the depression?” “Did the depressive symptoms begin after taking it?” (Note: Depression can begin months or years after starting the medication as it can take that long for your copper levels to build up.)

So did you get that? The estrogen in the pill increases copper in your body, and high copper is one of the causes for depression.

Note that it can take years for your copper levels to get so high that it causes problems for you. No wonder it’s often hard to figure out the causes of depression, ah?!

Are you looking at what could be causing your depression differently now? I hope so.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the other 20 physical causes for depression check out my free report at www.breakingfreefromdepression.com/free-report. I know that there will be other things in it that will surprise you! And if you’re a male reading this (good on you for getting this far), there’s heaps in the report that will be of interest to you to.

Best regards

Dr Janelle Sinclair (PhD Biochemistry)

PS It might take more than just stopping your pill to stop your depression. I don’t have time right now to explain how to lower your copper levels, but there are natural supplements that can do it.